Mar., 1919 BIRD NOTES Otr A STORMY MAY IN COLORADO SPRINGS 63 they perched in the snow-laden trees with their plumage fluffed out to its full- est extent trying to keep warm. It was the middle of the forenoon before I could leave home to visit the Monument Valley Park a short distance away. By this time the roadways were getting bare, and were surfaced with mud and water, though our gravelly soil does not usually make much mud. On my way to the l?ark in these road- ways I found Meadowlarks, and Vesper, Lark and Chipping Sparrows ' (the western for.m of each, of course) busily seeking food, and evidently finding it, judging from their actions. Arriving at the park I found an expanse of white; none of the paths had been broken, and few or no foot passengers had been along. Brewer Blackbirds were about, White-crowned Sparrows were perched in trees and bushes; they did not appear to care about going out to rustle in the bare roadways. It was about a small pond that there was the greatest amount of life. On the water were seven Lesser Seaups, and they were quite unconcerned, feeding or swimming about or preening themselves as they chose. A little later in the morning I also saw Gadwalls, Shovelers and Baldpates; altogether there were some twenty odd ducks on the pond at ofie time. Along the shores of the pond Say Phoebes were abundant, continually flying out over the water after insects, though one would have thought it a mighty poor day for flycatching. Myrtle Warblers were also common and emulating the efforts of the Phoebes, though also working the bushes and ground along the shore. A Kingfisher was also there, occasionally dropping into the water with a splash. For such a win- try scene, bird life was decidedly abundant and active. Besides the Myrtles a few Orange-crowned and Audubon Warblers were present, the former confin- ing their activities to the trunks and branches of the trees which they were carefully working. I ought to state that it is really very unusual for Myrtle Warblers to be so abundant here. I have never before seen as many as on this occasion, and usually the seasons slip by without any being noted. A Western Yellowthroat was also on the warbler list. A little way from the pond, and on the bench above it, is a reservoir be- longing to the park. On this were four Lesser Seaups and eight Wilson Phala- ropes, and along the shores were more Say Phoebes and Myrtle Warblers; while flying about over the water were several Rough-winged and Barn Swallows, which looked rather unseasonable; for there was a cold north wind with fly- ing snow. I traversed a fair portion of the park that morning, and in the after- noon walked the whole length of it, some two miles. One bird which was no- ticeable was the Townsend Solitaire, of which I saw several, though it is usu- ally rare in the park. I subsequently saw one or more on my almost daily visits until the 17th of May. The beautiful Mountain Bluebirds were present in flocks. It is possible these spring storms bring more suffering to this species than to almost any' other, they seeming to have much difficulty in obtaining food when snow is on the ground. The following day was cloudy and bird conditions much the same, though the snow had largely melted. Snow was falling and melting almost all the day of' the 8th, and birds were working hard for food. Another little flock of Phala- ropes was at the reservoir and a flock of Chestnut-backed Bluebirds was in the park in addition to the other species. The latter were also seen the next day which opened with an inch of snow on the ground and was cloudy most of the time.
